About us
The History of Ickesburg Fire Company
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(as written on the reverse of a commemorative plate sold by the company, marking its 30th anniversary)
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Donald E. Kerr, the company's president, called the first Ickesburg Fire Company meeting to order January 19, 1953. Forty-seven members attended. Among them were W.E. Hoffman, vice president; Thomas N. Rice, secretary; Stanley Shiffer, financial secretary; L.C. Dobyns, treasurer; and Ted Shiffer, the company's first fire chief.
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The meeting's first item of business: the appointment of Roy Kline as the company's first assistant fire chief. Business quickly moved to the process of outfitting the first fire truck, a 1946 Chevrolet. A fundraising committee was appointed. Its goal: obtaining protective equipment. This cause was later helped by William America's donation of coats, boots and helmets.
The company's first tanker, a 1959 Ford, was purchased in March, 1953. This piece is still in company services as P-31A. The truck and tanker served the community until 1965 when the present tanker, a 1965 Chevrolet was put into service. The booster tank and pump were removed from the 1946 Chevrolet and the Ford was converted to serve as the company's prime pumper. The Chevrolet chassis was sold.
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During 1967, a committee was appointed to study pumper design in anticipation of purchasing a new piece. The present Ford/How pumper was placed into service in November, 1977 with the designation P-31. The older Ford was renumbered as Auxiliary Pumper P-31A.
The Rescue Truck, P-33, was donated by Saville Township Supervisors in 1977. This 1953 Dodge military ambulance has since been equipped to perform a variety of services and with rural contingencies both on and off the road. It provide vital support functions at fire and accident scenes.
Throughout this history, continued efforts have been made to upgrade company-owned facilities and improve the company's operation. Today, the "firehouse" provides a focal point for a major portion of community activities and around Ickesburg.
The company maintains a dedication to service and is consistent in its efforts to improve equipment and members' firefighting skills. Staffed by a dedicated volunteer group, Ickesburg Fire Company attempts to give credence to its motto: "Intrepid, Faithful, Compassionate."
Ickesburg Fire Company has come a long way since its 30th anniversary celebration in July, 1983. And, it is always trying to go further and be better at protecting lives and property. Since 1983, when the last historical update was completed, call volume has dramatically increased. More training is involved. And, more fundraising efforts made to procure equipment to make Ickesburg Fire Company's job safer and easier. There are different calls to which the company responds today such as: trees/wires down, EMS assistance, automobile fire alarms, LZ operations, CO/other gases, hazmat, out-of-county calls and terrorism calls.
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To answer the call to service for Ickesburg and its neighboring communities, the company still needs volunteers.
From the President:
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Our genuine appreciation to all the brave and dedicated volunteers serving in the Ickesburg Fire Company. The community we serve can rest peacefully at night knowing the men and women of the Ickesburg Fire Company have made a commitment to bravely tackle hazards and dangers ensuring your safety whenever possible. For this call to service, the volunteers receive no compensation.
They respond at all times of the day and night to do whatever is needed to help the people of our community without expecting anything in returen.
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As a community, your support is a key element in our success and continued operation. We would like to thank everyone for your support and look forward to serving the community in the upcoming year and beyond.
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Regards,
Gregory Fuller, President
Ickesburg Fire Company
A Message from the Chief:
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2024 has been a very busy year. Our firefighters have participated in many our of training to ensure they are ready when the call comes in.
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We always welcome new volunteers and would love to talk to you about what we do and how you can help. Have you ever considered joining the fire department? There are many ways people in the community can offer their support to this vital organization and aid us in fulfilling our mission. A few examples are below:
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Make sure your driveway or land is clearly marked with the correct name and number so you can be found in an emergency.​
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Consider donating toward new gear. Not paying for staff is only part of the story. Most people don't realize that anew set of gear costs about $7800. It is required that we keep the gear up to date and in compliance with regulations. This also keeps our members safe while they work to keep the community safe.​
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Consider donating toward a new truck Our trucks may not get a lot of road miles on them but they make up for it with engine and pump time. We do our best to maintain our apparatus so that it lasts as long as possible. At some point, they need to be replaced. This is not a matter of grand wishes or vanity. There are regulatory and safety reasons why trucks must be upgraded. We have worked to find dependable used vehicles but this is becoming mor and more of a challenge. Most volunteer fire companies are in the same boat. WIf we could purchase a new vehicle built to our specifications, it would last us 25 years. The cost would be $1.4 million, and the cost goes up 7-12% a year. A sued unit only lasts 8-10 years and we never get this money back we put into it.​
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Support our fundraising events. Money is tight. When planning family time consider attending one of our community evets. All proceeds go toward financing our operations.
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Thank you for your support. Have a Happy Healthy and Safe year.
Shane Wolf, Fire Chief